Environmental groups push to expand Cleveland green spaces with new leadership

Photo courtesy of David Ptkiewicz, cleveland.com

Vibrant green spaces have proven to be a main driver in economic prosperity and quality of life for residents, yet the expansion of parks and walking paths has remained a topic of discussion for various environmental groups in Cleveland. Groups like the Cleveland Parks + Greenspace Coalition have pushed for these improvements in past years and since this year’s mayoral election, the groups may see further progress toward a greener Cleveland.

“One of the goals of the coalition is to ensure investing and improving of green spaces,” said Sean Terry, the Ohio Parks for People Program Director at The Trust for Public Land.

In 2018, the City of Cleveland was announced to be the first city in Ohio with the goal to be powered by 100% clean and renewable energy by 2050. In the “Cleveland Comprehensive Environmental Policy Platform” released by The Ohio Environmental Council in December 2020, there are sections dedicated to different areas of environmental reform: Environmental justice, energy and air quality infrastructure and transportation, and land and green space.

This plan describes a vision for 2021-25 and has a focus on accessibility for residents and building “climate resilience.” While many groups have laid out plans for residents to add their input on these matters, there is currently no green space masterplan.

This year, environmental groups called for the city of Cleveland to have enough parks that each resident would be within a ten-minute walk from one. In response Cleveland formed a committee dedicated to the project made up of staff from the Public Works and Planning Departments and some members of the coalition.

There is currently no master plan for Cleveland green space and parks and due to what was cited as budget cuts, the Parks Department was demoted from a department to an office.

Green spaces can also contribute to the city’s public health. On their website, the coalition states “High-quality parks contribute to improved public health, generate economic development, and support a clean, sustainable environment. The COVID-19 pandemic further illustrated the necessity for parks and green spaces for recreation, respite, and to connect with nature and each other.”

The coalition aims to improve the upkeep and accessibility of parks by bringing attention to the poor conditions the spaces are in now. Parks should be “safe, high quality” and within a 10-minute walk” from the homes of all Cleveland residents, according to the Cleveland Parks and Greenspace Coalition. The group also suggests that “programmed and art-filled spaces” are included between the different trails and waterfronts. The coalition also asks that an assessment of the distribution and quality of the parks

According to the Trust for Public Land, 6% of Cleveland’s land is used for parks and recreation and 83.4% of residents are within a ten-minute walk of a park. Cleveland has 186 parks currently and of those within a ten-minute walk from a park, 82% are high income, 83% are middle class, and 85% are low income.

Mayor-elect Justin Bibb has said he plans to be a “collaborative mayor” and plans to use his position to bring people together.